FIJI amateur boxer, Esava Tuivodo, made a triumphant start to the Tri-Nations Boxing tournament by clinching a gold medal on the first day.
He secured victory over Riley Jackson of Australia with a second-round stoppage by the referee in the under-15 grade.
This win holds special significance for Tuivodo as he dedicated it to his late father, who passed away in 2024.
In an interview with his head coach, Rusiate Toqabale of Kwaca na vatu club from Namosi, Tuivodo expressed his joy and gratitude for the achievement.
“This is a special win for him, as he always has to passion for the sport,” said Toqabale.
“We trained hard for this competition, with a club that just formed last year we can see the progress in our boxers.
“This is our first international competition, boxing with Australia and big countries which is a great achievement for us.”
He adds the club, established just last year, has shown remarkable progress in training and development of its boxers.
With 30 boxers from their club participating in the competition, this marks their first international event, competing against nations like Australia.
Tuivodo’s passion for the sport and consistent dedication to training has impressed his coach, who sees a bright future for the young boxer.
“He always shows interest participating in the sport and looking at the way he is performing I can say he has a bright future ahead, if he stays consistent and work extra heard towards his goal.
Toqabale also expressed gratitude to Fiji’s head coach, Cam Todd, for providing the opportunity for their boxers to represent not only their club but Fiji on the international stage.
